Current:Home > NewsBear attacks and injures 73-year-old woman in Montana as husband takes action to rescue her -SovereignWealth
Bear attacks and injures 73-year-old woman in Montana as husband takes action to rescue her
View
Date:2025-04-23 07:49:32
A 73-year-old woman was hospitalized after she was attacked by a bear west of Glacier National Park and just south of the U.S. Canadian border over the weekend, Montana wildlife officials said Monday. The attack comes just two days after a couple was killed by a grizzly bear in Canada and just weeks after a hunter was mauled by a grizzly in Montana.
The woman, her husband and a dog were in the Flathead National Forest Sunday afternoon when a bear emerged from thick brush and attacked her, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks said. Her husband deployed bear spray, and the bear moved away from the woman, officials said.
The couple returned to their vehicle and drove to a location where they could call emergency services at about 3 p.m.
The woman was flown to the hospital in Kalispell for treatment. Wildlife officials had no information about the woman's medical condition on Monday. Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokesperson Dillon Tabish said. Her name has not been released.
The attack happened on the bank of Trail Creek, which is a few miles west of the North Fork Road and less than five miles south of the Canadian border. The area is closed while the investigation continues. Officials don't know if a grizzly bear or a black bear was involved.
The couple owns property in the area, Tabish said.
The attack came two days after a grizzly bear attacked and killed a Canadian couple and their dog in Banff National Park in Alberta.
In September, two grizzly bears — a mother and a male cub — were captured and euthanized in Montana after "several conflicts with people." Also last month, a hunter in Montana was severely mauled by a grizzly.
Preventing bear attacks
State wildlife officials on Monday reminded the public that "Montana is bear country." In the autumn, bears are active for longer periods because they eat more food to prepare for hibernation.
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks offered these tips to avoid bear encounters:
- Carry bear spray and be prepared to use it immediately.
- Make noise to alert bears to your presence and travel in groups.
- Stay away from animal carcasses, which often attract bears.
- Follow food storage orders from the applicable land management agency.
- If you encounter a bear, never approach it. Leave the area when it is safe to do so.
- If you are attacked by a bear and you are without a deterrent or the deterrent hasn't worked, stay face down on the ground, protecting your face and neck with your arms. Stay still until you're certain the bear has moved away.
- Keep garbage, bird feeders, pet food and other attractants put away in a secure building. Keep garbage in a secure building until the day it is collected. Certified bear-resistant garbage containers are available in many areas.
- Never feed wildlife. Bears that become food conditioned lose their natural foraging behavior and pose threats to human safety. It is illegal to feed bears in Montana.
- In:
- Montana
- Bear
veryGood! (27496)
Related
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Pop Tops
- Demi Lovato Shares Whether She Wants Her Future Kids to Have Careers in Hollywood
- NFL Week 2 winners, losers: Bears have a protection problem with Caleb Williams
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- John Leguizamo celebrates diverse Emmy winners, nominees with emotional speech
- Microsoft solves 365 outage that left thousands unable to access email, Teams, other apps
- You'll Be Royally Flushed by the Awkward Way Kate Middleton Met Brother James Middleton's Wife
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- You need to start paying your student debt. No, really.
Ranking
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Travis Kelce's NFL Suite Features Sweet Nod to Taylor Swift
- Man suspected in apparent assassination attempt on Trump charged with federal gun crimes
- 2024 Emmys: RuPaul’s Drag Race Stars Shut Down Claim They Walked Out During Traitors Win
- Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
- Model Bianca Balti Shares Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis
- DEA shutting down two offices in China even as agency struggles to stem flow of fentanyl chemicals
- Travis Kelce's NFL Suite Features Sweet Nod to Taylor Swift
Recommendation
Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
How Sister Wives Addressed Garrison Brown’s Death in Season Premiere
Colleges in Springfield, Ohio, move to online instruction after threats targeting Haitians
2024 Emmys: Why Fans Are Outraged Over The Bear Being Classified as a Comedy
California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
Child trapped between boulders for 9 hours rescued by firefighters in New Hampshire
After a mission of firsts, SpaceX Polaris Dawn crew returns safely to Earth
Maine commission considers public flood insurance